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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · roll · nail · snap · mate · safe · club · clip

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. roll — a list
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mate — to breed
  7. clip — a video
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. clip — to cut
  10. snap — to click
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — a group
  13. clip — for paper
  14. club — for dancing
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. roll — a cake
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — a friend
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com